Top 30 Post-Metal Albums

This week I’m covering: The Best Post-Metal Albums

Post-metal is a music genre, a mixture between the genres of post-rock and heavy metal, with roots in progressive rock, progressive metal, shoegazing, and industrial music. It is broadly characterized by distorted guitar, heavy atmospherics, gradual evolution of song structure, and a minimal emphasis on vocals.

Hydra Head Records owner and Isis frontman Aaron Turner originally termed the genre “thinking man’s metal”, demonstrating the link with Avant-garde metal, by trying to move away from common metal conventions. “Post-metal” is the favored name for a growing genre, one also referred to as “instro-metal”, “postcore”, art metal, metal-gaze, and a great range of others.

The term “post-metal” was earlier used in the UK to describe another emergent genre of metal, at which time the genre now known as “post-metal” was referred to by various other names, most commonly “industrial soundscape music” and “soundscape metal”.The term largely fell out of use with the rise of what was known as “post-metal” in the US, effectively seconding the term from the British bands.

Top 30

1.       AmenRa “Mass III“– This album really bores into my head when I think of this band because of the down-trodden riffs that are just played over and over. However it is an excellent example of how most post-metal but I think the vocals will put most the people who listen to it off though.

2.       *Shels “Sea of the Dying Dhow“ – This feels almost experimental because it combines elements and instruments not usually associated with this Genre such as a Trumpet. At Times this album feels very “Post-Rock” then other times much more bleakness is displayed. I thought about placing the album “Plains of the Purple Buffalo” on here but it is much softer in comparison to this album, thus making this more “Metal”? 

3.       Year of No Light “Ausserwelt” – As soon as the opening track starts you’re accompanied by silence for 0:02 seconds then a massive wall of sound emerges and encapsulates everything. This album is far superior to their 2006 release, Nord.

4.       Ocoai “Breatherman “– One of my more favorite albums to listen to while driving on this list. I seem to want to follow one instrument when I listen to it. Unflawed in every way

5.       ISIS “In the Fishtank 14” – Although everyone likes Oceanic and Panoption more than other stuff by this band, but this to me is probably their best and more hypnotizing effort in their discography. I love how the drums feel so far away for some reason I can’t explain on this record.

6.       Neurosis “Enemy of the Sun“–Regarded as the originator of the genre “Post-Metal”. People argue though that over the years this band has gone downhill but I would beg to differ on that point. Every album they have made besides Pain of Mind, Aberration, and the Word as Law have all been masterpieces in my opinion particularly Enemy of the Sun being one of the heavier albums in terms of pure aggression but at times though it feels misguided but I love it.

7.       Cult of Luna “Salvation” – Another Band whose discography is flawless in my opinion. I remember back in the day seeing music videos by this band on Uranium with Julia on FuseTV. What a shitty channel it is now but regardless of that, this album is everything I love about post metal. Harrowing Vocals, Atmosphere, Emotion.

8.       The Ocean “Precambrian” – this is the first album I got from this band, and the song Calymmian: Lake Disappointment still haunts me when I listen to it. People give the first Cd flack because of it being much softer than the second disc but it think it furthers the concept they are trying to convey. The Atmosphere is impeccable on this Album plus you get two complete Cd’s full of awesomeness. 

9.       Rosetta “ The Galilean Satellites“ – This is another 2 Cd affair with both harshness and ambiance throughout. If you’re a lyrical persona and enjoy a good story start with the first disc and follow along thru the second one it tells a complete story. Supposedly this band is “Mainstream” or so people claim anyway much like they claims ISIS, Neurosis, and Cult of Luna are as well. Pretty dumb argument for stuff considering there is no post-metal radio.

10.   Bossk “.1” – Superb musicianship however broken up in 08’ this band has a style that is distinct. It takes a little while to appreciate the whole ambiance and atmosphere they create or at least it did for me. 

11.   Intronaut “Void” – I love the dissonant riffs on this album so much, and for some reason it reminds me slightly of Meshuggah at times (that is if you know who that is). Either way this album is great from start to finish but again the vocals are kind of of something some people would be turned off about because of how high they are in the mix.

12.   Latitudes “The Agonist” – more of my style of Post-Metal just repetitive and heavy as hell. Plus the album cover is awesome too. Slightly post-rock as well

13.   Callisto “Noir” – I love how spacey this album sounds, it is really a fusion record at times mixing sounds from Jazz among others together to create this amalgam of a sound that is both soothingly soft yet bombastically heavy and crushing. Reminds me a lot of ISIS at times.

14.   Battle of Mice “A Day of Nights“– Female Front Post-Metal Band? Yep sure is, in a genre that is like 98% male dominated in the vocal duties.  This gender difference is not evident whatsoever once the music states. It is hard to explain how this album just seems to play out so well, check it out.

15.   Tides “Resurface“ – Slower paced Post-Metal it took for a little while to get into their sound but I’m glad I did because both they’re EP and this LP are fantastic and often times extremely pretty sounding? Don’t let that fool you though.

16.   Back When “We Sang as Ghosts” – I like this album and its really good granted it has a post-rock feel to it. My problem however is the vocals are just not my cup of tea personally but judge how you want.

17.   Thou “Peasant“– It’s so difficult picking my favorite by this band because I like all their releases, unfortunately I was unable to see them when they came to NC but go figure on that? Someone not having money to go somewhere? But either way they play a blend of Sludge metal which is obviously part of Post-Metal. EXTREMLY AWESOME

18.   Rorcal “Heliogabalus” – Really heavy, like Immense! Reminds me a lot of Admiral Angry which is later on the list.

19.   Supercontinent “Vaalbara” – another exceptional record on the list, I really enjoy the production so I can hear everything on this record.  Often times simple but effective at conveying the message they are trying to get across.

20.   Ganon “As Above, So Below” – I know a lot of people would disagree with me on this but I like this albums vocals because I think they just work well with everything musically sounds similar to ISIS. Plus their album artwork reminds me of the “Hungry Caterpillar”.

21.   Conifer “Crown Fire” – Lots of things going on within this album if you enjoy that kind of Post-Metal I’ve found it sort of rewarding to pick out all the small things and try to enjoy them all.

22.   Voyager “Voyager EP” – this band essentially molds together Amenra and Rosetta together collectively their best song is “Crushing Winds” I think.

23.   Neila “Danza de Nieblas” – I really love this cd besides how high the cymbals are mixed with the drums seems kind of excessive to me but either way this band plays Sludge.

24.   Coffin Dancer “Pax Romana” – Often seems under-mixed with the intention of making the sound apprasive and rough sounding but is a great album within post-metal.

25.   Braveyoung / Giant “Song” – From the moment I heard this album I knew I was listening to something great. Every song conveys this melancholy feeling with not without pummeling heaviness and beauty at the same time. Since this has come out they had to change their name from Giant to Braveyoung because of the 80’s hair metal band “Giant”, dumb right? Anyway their stylistic change is apparent on the Bloom 12” and their recent LP “We are lonely animals” however though it is more post-rock now than “Song” but I listen to this album and their split with tides probably two times a week at least.

26.   Jesu “Silver” – Need I say more about Justin Broadrick? This album is extremely bleak yet melodic.

27.   City of Ships “Look What God Did to Us” – When I first heard this I was immediately dragged into their sound. And I’ve found myself listening to it a lot here lately good stuff, check it out!

28.   Fall of Efrafa “Inle” – quite possibly the most difficult thing in post-metal I’ve attempted to understand is this album.  The final album in a trilogy that completes an perceptive interpretation of the Richard Adam’s novel Watership down. Hopefully none the less though

29.   Admiral Angry “Buster” – I wasn’t sure if I was listening to post-metal when I got hit by this album. This is seriously under-rated because not many people have heard them before. vast presence of everything (Vocals,Guitar,Bass,Drums) throughout the entire album. It’s too good to describe in my opinion, and you should not be fooled by the artwork as it looks like maybe a progressive band's album cover. It has poly-rhythms at time as well much like Meshuggah. Btw they also play in Drop G Sharp if you understand that. If you do then you know it’s LOW!

30.   Seven Nautical Miles “Every Ocean Reversed” – Basically a ISIS/Cult of Luna Clone but regardless this album is a great one. One of the easier ones to enjoy if you’re new to this genre.

Other Honorable Mentions:

Burst

Godflesh

Made out of Babies

Pelican

Omega Massif

Tephra

Tesa

The Mire

Irepress

Trenches

Conciousness removal project

Suffocate for Fucks Sake

General Lee

Generation of Vipers

Irreversible

Humanfly

Buried Inside

Catacombe

VYGR

Time to Burn

Black sheep Wall

Komarov

Disappear

(there are just too many to list but that’s a pretty decent amount)

When I originally got into this genre it was difficult because a lot of the great albums were either not available besides going to a show or if they were available to purchase online then they would be above 50 dollars at times, specifically for some of the out of print stuff. My love for this genre still continues to grow, and you would imagine by now people would get sick of it but most the time I find something in a album I really enjoy by those bands. These are some of my favorites I could list probably forever but I thought about which ones I like the best and why they are important. 

Enjoy